First senior international call-up for Cubarsí
Club football is about to take its first break for international matches, mainly for friendlies but Robert Lewandowski and Poland have a crunch Euro 24 playoff ahead. The big news is the first ever call-up for Pau Cubarsí to the Spain squad. Here's a round-up of what's in store for our players.
Two Culers for Spain
Luis de la Fuente's squad featured the surprise inclusion of Pau Cubarsí alongside Lamine Yamal, two Barça teenagers who are in line to feature in a couple of enticing friendlies against Colombia (23/03 at 9.30pm CET) and Brazil (26/03 at 9pm CET). For 17-year-old Cubarsí this is the first time he has been named in a full international squad.
Fermín, Fort and Guiu in youth squads
Fermin Lopez is in the Spain U21 squad that has a friendly with Slovakia on Thursday 21 March (9pm CET) and a Euro qualifier with Belgium on the 16th (7pm CET). Meanwhile, Héctor Fort and Marc Guiu are in the U19 squad that has Elite Round fixtures against Slovenia (20 March, 4pm CET), Kosovo (23 March, 4pm CET) and Austria (26 March, 12pm CET).
Ter Stegen and Gündoğan for Germany
The goalkeeper and midfielder have games on March 23 (9pm CET) against France and on March 26 against the Netherlands (without the injured Frenkie de Jong) at 8.45pm CET.
Kounde for France, Raphinha for Brazil
The French defender will also be featuring in the aforesaid friendly on March 23, but on the opposing side to Germany and Ter Stegen and Gündoğan (9pm CET) and have another game on the 26th versus Chile (9pm CET). Brazil are playing England (23/03 at 8pm CET) and Spain (26/03 at 9pm CET).
Portugal take João Cancelo and João Félix
The two Joãos will be playing for their own country on March 21 against Sweden (8.45 pm CET) and March 26 against Slovenia (also 8.45pm CET), both of those games being friendlies.
Denmark miss Christensen and Uruguay select Araujo
Andreas Christensen is not fully fit following the game with Atlético Madrid and has been replaced by Jacob Rasmusen of Brondby for Denmark's games with Switzerland (23/03 at 8pm CET) and the Feroe Islands (26/03 at 8.15 CET), while Araujo and company will be playing the Basque Country (23/03 at 8pm CET) and African champions Ivory Coast (26/03 at 8.30pm CET).
Big one for Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has the meatiest challenge ahead in this international break. Poland are in the playoffs for one of the remaining slots at Euro 24, where they first have to get past Estonia on Thursday 21 March at 8.45pm CET. Winning that, they would still have to beat the winners out of Wales and Finland in the final of March 26.
Cuéllar with Bolivia
The Barça Atlètic forward has been named in the Bolivian squad that has friendlies against Algeria on March 22 (10pm CET) and Andorra on the 25th (also at 10pm CET).
Mika Faye gets first call-up for Senegal
Fodé Ballo-Touré of Fulham has been forced to drop out of the Senegal squad this week though injury and coach Aliou Cissé has opted to replace him with young Barça Atlètic centre back Mika Faye, who thus gets his first senior call-up for games against Gabon (22/03 at 8.30pm CET) and Benin (24/03 at the same time).